Comment by g8oz
4 days ago
It seems to me that if you let Persona verify your identity you're essentially providing data enrichment for the US government. In exchange for what? A blue tick from a feeder platform like LinkedIn, Reddit or Discord? No thanks.
On the other hand it can be hard to escape if it's for something that actually matters. Coursera is a customer. You might want your course achievements authenticated. The Canada Media Fund arranges monies for Canadian creators when their work lines up with various government sponsored DEI incentives. If you're in this world you will surely use Persona as required by them. Maybe you're applying for a trading account with Wealthsimple and have to have your ID verified. Or you want to rent a Lime Scooter and have to use them as part of the age verification process.
KYC platforms have a place. But we need legal guarantees around the use of our data. And places like Canada and Europe that are having discussions about digital sovereignty need to prioritize the creation of local alternatives.
> KYC platforms have a place
Yes. In hell.
No, in banking.
Banks are in a unique and perfect place to collect and require KYC data.
Because of the exorbitant privileges given to banks by state actors it should be easy to demand that the banks KYC be extensible to all other private transactions.
Which is to say: if the banks do KYC, nobody else has to.
> On the other hand it can be hard to escape if it's for something that actually matters.
E.g. Job applications, rental references, clearance at existing jobs, citizenship and visa applications, digital signing for things like business contracts.